Could the EU of the future become a global alliance?

Europe is no stranger to the concept of shifting boundaries and neither is its pride and joy, the European Union. What started in 1951 as a vow among six continental countries to be allies rather than enemies, has evolved into a 27-nation force to be reckoned with, an elite club with a waiting list from which it can pick and choose at will.

Over the past two decades, countries have fallen over themselves implementing the kinds of economic, political and social reforms necessary to secure themselves a coveted place at the EU table. And although there is still space around that table, it is getting tighter.

There are currently only two countries engaged in accession talks - Croatia and Turkey - and while experts predict Croatia is likely to be invited into the Union in the next couple of years, the issue of Turkish membership is intrinsically more complex.

Could the EU of the future become a global alliance? | World | Deutsche Welle | 08.01.2010

EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn:" Turkey Firmly on a European Track

EU-Digest

EurActiv - The European Parliament held a heated debate yesterday (25 November) on future EU enlargement but also offered congratulations to Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, who is expected to take a different portfolio in the Barroso II team.Olli Rehn, the quiet Finn who once humbly described himself as "only the factory manager" in the gigantic effort of preparing countries for EU membership, summed up his five-year term by saying that five years ago, he had wanted to see a number of things achieved by the end of 2009:
* An EU of 27 member states;
* Croatia's accession process entering the final stages;
* the other Western Balkan countries anchored in the EU through Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAAs);
* Turkey firmly on a European track;
* Kosovo's status settled, and;
* Cyprus reunified.

CriEnglish: Sweden Backs Turkey for EU Membership - by Bao Congying

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Sweden Backs Turkey for EU Membership - by Bao Congying

Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said Tuesday that Sweden supports Turkey's bid to join the European Union (EU). Reinfeldt made the remarks at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan following their talks in the Turkish capital.

"Turkey belongs to Europe. Turkey is a crucial country for Europe. With its regional role and young population, Turkey carries strategic importance for the EU," Reinfeldt said.

"Topics such as press freedom, freedom of expression, religious minorities, cultural rights, and the socioeconomic situation in southeastern Anatolia may be brought up in the EU process. The establishment of a TV channel in Kurdish in Turkey was an important step," Reinfeldt said.

Times Online: Leave Turkey’s bid to join EU to us, Nicolas Sarkozy warns Barack Obama - by David Charter

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Leave Turkey’s bid to join EU to us, Nicolas Sarkozy warns Barack Obama - by David Charter

The love-in between Nicolas Sarkozy and Barack Obama proved short-lived after the French President warned his US counterpart yesterday to keep his nose out of the issue of Turkey’s membership of the European Union. President Obama used his first EU-US summit, on the eve of his visit to Turkey, to encourage European leaders to embrace the Muslim country and “anchor it in Europe”. However, Mr Sarkozy, a long-standing opponent of full membership for Turkey, rebuffed the US leader in language that seemed to sour the revival of Franco-US relations. Support for Turkey in joining the EU, a process that it began formally in 2005 and hopes to complete before 2020, has long been an American foreign policy goal.

Mr Sarkozy, who has talked of offering Turkey a privileged partnership rather than membership, did not wait to hit back. “I have been working hand in hand with President Obama but when it comes to the European Union it is up to member states of the European Union to decide [on membership],” Mr Sarkozy said in an interview on French television. “I have always been opposed to this entry and I remain opposed,” he added.